Miss a day, miss a lot. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day. It's free.
2021 was a record-breaking year for dam-breaking, according to a report released this month by Dam Removal Europe, an organization that works to restore the flow of European rivers that have “high natural or cultural importance.”
The group estimates that at least 150,000 outdated, nonfunctional barriers “clog” European waterways.
“Dams disrupt the natural functioning of rivers and can cause a wide-scale decline in fish and other river wildlife,” according to the organization.
“For these reasons, it is necessary to remove these barriers to return rivers to their natural, free-flowing state.”
The report notes that in 2021:
- At least 239 river barriers were removed from 17 European countries. This was an increase of 137% over 2020.
- Spain removed more barriers (108) than did all other European countries combined in 2020 (101).
- The first of three dams in the Hiitolanjoki project, the largest river restoration project in Finland, was demolished.
- Three countries (Portugal, Montenegro and Slovakia) recorded their first-ever dam removals.
- 76% of the removed barriers were lower than 2 meters (6.6 feet).
One of the key goals of the European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (part of the European Green Deal) is to restore at least 25,000 kilometers (about 15,500 miles) of rivers to a free-flowing state, according to the report.
Pao Fernández Garrido, who helped produce Dam Removal Europe’s annual report, told The Guardian, “Our efforts to expand dam removals across Europe are gathering speed.”
He added:
“An increasing number of governments, NGOs, companies and communities are understanding the importance of halting and reversing nature loss, and buying into the fact that dam removal is a river-restoration tool that boosts biodiversity and enhances climate resilience.
“We’re also seeing lessons being learned from previous dam removals, new countries kickstarting removals, and new funds, including crowdfunding.”
In Sweden, only about 2,000 of approximately 11,000 dams produce energy, with just 200 producing more than 10 megawatts, according to Margaretha Svenning of Sweden’s Älvräddarnas Waterkeeper.
These dams have destroyed river ecosystems and important fisheries, Svenning wrote in the Spring 2021 issue of Waterkeeper, the Waterkeeper Alliance magazine.
“Dam removals, no matter how small or large, are desirable for both biodiversity and climate action,” she added.
The outcomes of the Dam Removal Europe report were presented at the 7th Dam Removal Europe seminar, “Connected Rivers,” in Lisbon May 19-21, in conjunction with World Fish Migration Day, which is May 21.
Restoring rivers in the U.S.
Waterkeeper Alliance, founded by Children’s Health Defense Chairman Robert F. Kennedy Jr., advocates for dam removal where possible and a halt to the construction of new dams.
According to the Waterkeeper Alliance website:
“Hydropower, generated by dams and reservoirs, is a false solution to climate change that should not be promoted as a source of clean energy and should not benefit from climate incentives.
“Hydroelectric dams and their reservoirs create tremendous amounts of methane. They also negatively impact biodiversity, Indigenous communities, river-based livelihoods and communities, and destroy wildlife habitats. We call for a global halt on all new dam construction, prioritization of dam removal where feasible, and robust mitigation for the damage done by those facilities we cannot yet remove.”
In the U.S., more than 50 dams were removed in 2021, according to the group American Rivers, which in February released its report “Free Rivers: The State of Dam Removal in the U.S.”
American Rivers tracks dam removal trends and maintains a national dam removal database. The group claims 1,957 dams have been removed in the U.S. since 1912.
In addition to restoring healthy habitats for fish and other wildlife, dam removals make sense economically, according to American Rivers.
“Every $1 million invested in restoring watersheds generates 16 jobs and up to $2.5 million for the economy,” the group states on its website.
American Rivers also released a list of 25 dam removal projects to watch in 2022 and beyond.
“There are thousands of dams that need to come down in the U.S., and there are opportunities for river restoration at every size and scale,” said Tom Kiernan, American Rivers president and CEO, in a press release.
